Fertilizer and process of effecting distribution thereof



Nov. 17, 1936. v. w. BREWER 2,061,500

FERTILIZER AND PROCESS OF EFFECTING DISTRIBUTION THEREOF Original FiledOct. 10, 1932 anal,

so IS 23 3 l4- q-zv z 22 Inventor:

Vivian (Brewer B3 M4 MM ffijl'ornelj s.

Patented Nov. 17, 1936 I DISTRIBUTION"THERE OF V Vivian W.Brewer-,Mirinaaipolis, mm, assignor to Gro-Lux,

corporation Incorporated, St. Paul,

Minn., a

, Refiled for abandoned application Serial No.

636.978. October 10, 1932.- This application November 1, 1935; SerialNo. 47,848

2 'Cla'ims. (cl. 47- 58) My invention relates to fertillzei's andprocess of effecting distribution thereof. It is the object of myinvention .to provide in connection with means for distributing in astream of water, fertilizer either of a soluble nature during and after'the same shall go into solution,or of an-insoluble nature which is sofinely 'comminuted that it may be distributed in such finely comminutedstate in the water stream. A difilculty in so distributing fertilizers,is encountered from the fact that the receptacle containing thefertilizer (either soluble or insoluble), and through which some part'ofthe distributing stream of water is caused to flow, cannot be entered,and the only means of determining when distribution has been completelyeffectedis by visual inspection. But pracf tically all the fertilizersadapted to be'so distributed are transparent and, when in water, eitherin solution or in suspension, are completely or substantially invisible.It'is the object of my invention to provide in combination with meansfor distributing fertilizer as above defined, means associated with thefertilizer and which will have no deteriorating efiect thereon forrendering the fertilizer (either in solution or in suspension) visibleuntil it has been completely exhausted from the container.

Tothis end I employ dry commercial fertilizer- -nitrates, phosphates andthe like-which I reduce to a coarse granular condition if saidfertilizer is soluble, and to a fine powder if the fertilizer isinsoluble, and add to this, dry, finely powdered dye material such asaniline dye or vegetable-dyes, and thoroughly mix the dry dye materialand fertilizer. This mixing is continued until all evidence of thepresence of the dye material in the mixture disappears;

I have discovered that such dye materials when mixed dry with dryfertilizer materials have a tendency to remain adherent to the granulesor dust particles of the fertilizer material. Where that material issoluble the dye will go into so; i

lution only as the fertilizer material is dissolved. Where the materialisin'soluble the dye particles will cling to'the insoluble particles offertilizer and stain them .so that as seen in suspension in the water itwill give an effect of coloration to the water. When this colorationfinally disappears there is thus a visible indication that thefertilizer has been distributed, and continued fiow of water willbestopped, important because the fertilizer, particularly where solublefertilizer is employed, readilyleaches through the ground with excess ofmoisture and should be retained near the surface not more than twoinches down V Fig. 1 shows a sectional elevation of an appa- 10 ratusdesigned to beemployed forefiecting the distribution above referred to.Fig. '2 shows a side elevation of a portion thereof taken at rightangles to Fig. 1. 2 The specific apparatus, as such, forms no 'part 5 ofmy invention and is illustrated as showing a form of apparatus inconnection with which my invention may be operated. As there shown afaucet Ill of usual construction such as projects from the side of ahouse is adapted to have secured'thereto-an extension member I I whichis secured in water-tight position by the usual packing nut l2. Thismembercarries a piece'or cast ing l3 having a tubular bore l4 extendingthrough the same, the piece being threaded on the exten- 25 sion memberII and one. second coupling mein- .ber l5 which is securedby hosecoupling It to hose ,ll in the well-known way. The piece I3 is providedwith an annular socket l8 adapted to receive the neck of a'jar or bottlel9, such as 30 an ordinary fruit jar, being secured against the samewith a gasket 20 between, by means of a clamping device comprising sidearms 2 l, 22 supporting a crossbar 23 in which is threaded a hand screw24 taking against a'piece 25 formed with 35 a rubber contact member 26which engages the bottom of the jar I9. By screwing up on the hand screw24 the shoulder 21 of the jar neck may be forced toward the edgeof theannular gasket l8, compressing the gasket 20 between 40 them andremovably securing the jar in watertight relation upon the casting i3. vExtending from the casting l3 and opening into' the tubular chamber I4is a tube 28 of such length as to open adjacent the bottom of jar I9;Immediately in front of the opening of the tube l8 into the tubularchamber I4 is a baiiie 29, and directly back of the baffle 29 is a smallduct 30 opening into the jar IS. The water being delivered underpressure from the faucet ID will some part travel 50 The compositematerial which I have heretofore 55 Fig. 1.

described, consisting of dry fertilizer having applied thereto some formof dye. is shown at ii in This material, which may be of any-0f thecom-. mercial forms of dry nitrates or dry phosphates, if in a solubleform, is first crushed or comminuted to a coarse granular form whichwill pass a five to ten mesh screen. There is added thereto, and whileit is in the dry state, a suitable amount of dye material such as"Aniline Dark Green C B Union Merco with a soluble urea, although I donot wish to limit myself to the use of aniline dyes, since somevegetable dyes are effective for the purpose. A preferred proportion ofthe dye to be employed and which I have found gives satisfactory resultsis two to four parts by weight of dye material to five thousand parts byweight of fertilizer material. This mixture uncolored when dry has theadvantage that it will not color lawn grass and garden flowers andvegetables and spoil their appearance when it dries thereon. In the caseof insoluble fertilizer material, such as some forms of phosphates,these are first pulverized to produce as fine a comminution as possibleand then there is added thereto an amount of dye material, pref erablyabout one-third greater in proportion than that which is added to thesoluble fertilizer material. In either case, after the dye material hasbeen added the dry fertilizer including it is thoroughly agitated andstirred, as in a rotating drum, until all evidence of the presence ofthe dye has disappeared. With the amounts of dye employed this willhappen, the very fine particles of dye coalescing severally with theparticles of the fertilizer and showing substantially no color untilwater has been added. When, therefore, the Jar l9 containing thematerialli has been secured in position, the fertilizer material in itwill appear white or crystalline or as having the color of thefertilizer as procured on the market. When, however, the water is turnedon from the faucet Ill and the jar l9 fills with water, and, in the caseof,

soluble fertilizer material, it begins to dissolve, some of the dye willgo into solution with the fertilizer, coloring the water green oryellow, or whatever color may have been selected. As the materialcontinues to dissolve, this solution of dye will continue to take place,and thereafter when all of the fertilizer material has been removed fromthe jar ill by the distribution system the passing of this color fromthe jar furnishes definite indication that the fertilizer has beendistributed. In the case of insoluble fertilizer, as soon as waterenters the jar l9 and contacts with and wets the numerous smallparticles of insoluble fertilizer,

the dye will have the efl'ect of staining these particles, so that asthey are driven up into the water of the jar a'color effect is producedas if the water itself were colored, and whicheifect will continue aslong as there are particles of the fertilizer in the Jar, but willterminate as soon asall of said particles have been removed, .thusindicating full distribution of the fertilizer.

The advantages of my invention clearly appear from'the foregoing. Itmakes itpossible to use such a distribution system in connection withthe sprinkling of lawns and the like with precision and accuracy, andcuts out uncertainties. Atthe same time it insures thatall of thefertilizer in the jar, and which has been subjected to the water flow,will be distributed, and that the application of water to the groundwill be terminated, as it should be, as soon as the charge of fertilizerhas been distributed.

I claim:

1. A method of distributing fertilizer which consists in applying dyematerial .to powdered fertilizer when both are dry and cold, the dye ina dry state being insufficient to color the objects with which it comesin contact, agitating the mixture of fertilizer and dye in the dry stateuntil the dye particles have coalesced with'the fertilizer particles,placing the material so prepared in a transparent container, passing astream of water through said container and the material therein wherebythe dye in conjunction with the fertilizer material will produce a coloreffect visible in the container, and continuing to pass water throughsaid container and spray it' upon the .plot to be fertilized until the.color effect in the container disappears.

2. A method of distributing fertilizer which consists in introducing dyematerial into powdered fertilizer in the proportion of two to four partsby weight of dye material to five thousand parts by weight of fertilizermaterial when both are dry and cold, the dye in a dry state beinginsufficient to color the objects with which it comes in contact,agitating the mixture of fertilizer and dye in the dry state until thedye particles have coalesced with the fertilizer particles, placing thematerial so prepared in a transparent container, passing a stream ofwater through said container and the material therein whereby the dye inconjunction with the fertilizer material will produce a color effectvisible in the container, and continuing to pass water through saidcontainer and spray it upon the plot to be fertilized until the coloreffect in the container disappears.

' VIVIAN W. BREWER.

